Unmanned aerial vehicle, relief system, and relief method

• US 10,259,578 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2017
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha (Terumo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha (Terumo Corporation)
• Inventors: Sekine, Yuusuke, Sano, Shinya, Iwakiri, Chisato, Yamane, Ryouta
• Primary Examiner(s): Lang, Michael D
• Application Number:
  US15/607,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20170341745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/39 Heart defibrillators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3904 External heart defibrillators [EHD]
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/08 the articles being load-carrying devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2013/0603 Environmental Control Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/55 for life-saving or rescue operations; for medical use
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Provided are an unmanned aerial vehicle executing relief work in an emergency such as a disaster, a relief system, and a relief method for performing relief work by using an unmanned aerial vehicle. An unmanned aerial vehicle capable of performing autonomous flight includes a receiving unit receiving an input of relief work from a user A2 and a control unit controlling the execution of the relief work based on content of the input received by the receiving unit.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle capable of performing autonomous flight, the unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

a receiving unit receiving an input of relief work from a user;

a bioinformation measuring instrument that measures bioinformation of a relief recipient;

an emergency treatment device that performs a medical treatment on the relief recipient;

a control unit controlling execution of the relief work based on content of the input received by the receiving unit, wherein the execution of the relief work includes the unmanned aerial vehicle navigating to a site where the relief recipient is located, determining that the treatment of the relief recipient is required based on the bioinformation measured, and automatically performing the medical treatment on the relief recipient using the emergency treatment device without assistance from any person in proximity to the relief recipient at the site.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, which is configured to be capable of selectively switching between a normal mode and an emergency mode, the normal mode being a standby state where no work is executed or an operating state where task support work for supporting the user'"'"'s work is performed and the emergency mode being an operating state where the relief work is performed.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the relief work includes at least one of confirmation of a state of the relief recipient, avoidance of a danger around the relief recipient, and evacuation support for the relief recipient.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the confirmation of the state of the relief recipient includes a bioinformation measurement executed simultaneously with the medical treatment, and wherein automatically performing the medical treatment on the relief recipient includes at least one of cardioversion and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the avoidance of the danger around the relief recipient includes smoke removal and securing of air at the site.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the evacuation support for the relief recipient includes transport of the relief recipient from the site.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 6, further comprising a shock absorbing unit absorbing a landing impact of the unmanned aerial vehicle upon impacting a ground surface during the transport of the relief recipient from the site.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is part of a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, and wherein the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles execute the relief work in cooperation with each other.

9. A relief method for performing relief work by using an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of performing autonomous flight, the relief method comprising:

a receiving step of receiving processing content from a user via a receiving unit of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

a control step of controlling the execution of the relief work following the processing content by using a control unit of the unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein controlling the execution of the relief work comprises;

navigating the unmanned aerial vehicle to a site where a relief recipient is located;

measuring, by a bioinformation measuring instrument associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle, bioinformation of the relief recipient at the site;

determining that medical treatment of the relief recipient is required based on the bioinformation measured; and

performing, automatically by an emergency treatment device associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle, the medical treatment on the relief recipient without assistance from any person in proximity to the relief recipient at the site.

10. The relief method according to claim 9, wherein the relief work includes at least one of confirmation of a state of the relief recipient, avoidance of a danger around the relief recipient, and evacuation support for the relief recipient.

11. The relief method according to claim 10, wherein the confirmation of the state of the relief recipient includes a bioinformation measurement executed simultaneously with automatically performing the medical treatment, and wherein automatically performing the medical treatment on the relief recipient includes at least one of cardioversion and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

12. The relief method according to claim 10, wherein the avoidance of the danger around the relief recipient includes smoke removal and securing of air at the site.

13. The relief method according to claim 10, wherein the evacuation support for the relief recipient includes transport of the relief recipient from the site.

14. The relief method according to claim 13, further comprising:

absorbing, via a shock absorbing unit associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle, a landing impact of the unmanned aerial vehicle upon impacting a ground surface during the transport of the relief recipient from the site.

15. The relief method according to claim 14, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is part of a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, and wherein the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles execute the relief work in cooperation with each other.

16. An information terminal device capable of controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle that is capable of autonomous flight, the information terminal device comprising:

an input interface to send an input of relief support work from a user;

a transmitting and receiving unit in communication with the input interface, the transmitting and receiving unit to transmit the input of relief support work to the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

a control unit in communication with the input interface and the transmitting and receiving unit, the control unit to control the execution of the relief support work based on content of the input received by the receiving unit, wherein controlling the execution of the relief support work comprises;

navigating the unmanned aerial vehicle to a site where a relief recipient is located;

measuring, by a bioinformation measuring instrument associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle, bioinformation of the relief recipient at the site;

determining that medical treatment of the relief recipient is required based on the bioinformation measured; and

performing, automatically by an emergency treatment device associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle, the medical treatment on the relief recipient without assistance from any person in proximity to the relief recipient at the site.

17. The information terminal device according to claim 16, wherein the relief support work includes at least one of confirmation of a state of the relief recipient, avoidance of a danger around the relief recipient, and evacuation support for the relief recipient.

18. The information terminal device according to claim 17, wherein the confirmation of the state of the relief recipient includes a bioinformation measurement executed simultaneously with automatically performing the medical treatment, and wherein automatically performing the medical treatment on the relief recipient includes at least one of cardioversion and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

19. The information terminal device according to claim 17, wherein the avoidance of the danger around the relief recipient includes smoke removal and securing of air at the site.

20. The information terminal device according to claim 17, wherein the evacuation support for the relief recipient includes transport of the relief recipient from the site.